The Boston Bruins have, at times, been a chaotic mess this season. Turmoil has followed this team around going back to the offseason. The drama began with goaltending, as the Bruins traded Linus Ullmark to the Ottawa Senators before securing Jeremy Swayman with a new contract. Swayman’s deal was finalized just in time for the start of the season.
![Bruins Might Attempt to Trigger Team with a Trade [Report]](https://nhltradetalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Joe-Sacco-Don-Sweeney-Bruins.jpg)
But the drama carried over as the season got underway. The Bruins got off to a poor start, leading General Manager Don Sweeney to make a coaching change. He fired Jim Montgomery and replaced him with Joe Sacco. The situation with Montgomery was already dramatic, as he was in the final year of his contract. Negotiations for an extension never progressed beyond preliminary talks. A coach who started the season on the hot seat was quickly dismissed, but it didn’t take long for him to find another job.
Montgomery paid the price for a flawed roster, as the GM overspent on Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov. Add in the drama created by a Boston radio host about David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand; it has been an interesting season in Boston.
The Bruins Are Still Looking to Add at the Trade Deadline
But none of that drama is not stopping Don Sweeney from looking to add. Not only does Sweeney believe that the Bruins are still a playoff team, but so does alternate governor Charlie Jacobs and President Cam Neely.
“We still feel like we have a playoff team here, and we certainly don’t want to jeopardize getting out of the playoffs because we’ve made some moves that may be good for the future but not good for the present,” Neely said to the media Wednesday night at the Bruins Black and Gold Gala.
So, if the Boston Bruins still believe they are a playoff team, what is their strategy heading into the trade deadline?
Dave Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, on a new episode of “The Latest,” stated the Bruins are positioning themselves to add scoring at the deadline to remain in the hunt for the playoffs.
“They certainly believe this team has what it takes. The players on the ice believe they have what it takes. The outside look may be a little bit different, which is why management is looking to help reinforce that positioning, to reinforce that notion that they are still a playoff-bound team. Now, the roster, you could argue, is not as strong as it has been in the past. They haven’t replaced, and didn’t replace the goals that they lost from Jake DeBrusk signing in Vancouver. They would like to add some secondary scoring to their roster, and that’s something that Don Sweeney, their GM, is looking at.”
Making Additions Won’t Be Easy Because of the Bruins’ Cap Situation
However, like most teams, the Boston Bruins are up against the cap and will need to clear cap space to add to their roster.
Pagnotta continued:
“But they’re kind of cap-strapped, so it’s going to take a little bit of juggling and creativity for them to do that. However, Boston is moving forward with the idea that they are a playoff-bound team, similar to Calgary. How do you reinforce it and strengthen the roster? They made their coaching change already. That excuse is gone. It’s about the guys on the ice performing. How does Don Sweeney improve that? He’s got to add some scoring, and that’s what they’re looking at.”
As Marco D’Amico of RG Media has reported, the Boston Bruins are looking at one of the two centers from the Vancouver Canucks, either Elias Pettersson or J.T. Miller. The Bruins still have a hole at the number one center position. Adding a player like that will help them slot everyone where they belong, but if the Bruins can clear cap space, it is something they will look to do. Both sides have talked.
But again, with the Canucks in the mix, will this be a move that happens at the deadline or in the offseason. This is something to watch moving forward.
